Electrical connecter



July13,1937 l I .HRILEY' Y 2,086,641-

y l ELECTRICAL CONNECTER l Filed March 2o, 195s- 2.9 '25 H/ Arr-omver@ hasta! July 13, 1937 UNITED STATES APATENT oFFicE a Anselm Euro'rmcar. coNNsc'rnn Lee Hunter Riley, University City, Mo. 'Application Maren zo, 193s, serial No. 69,310

3 Claims. (Cl. 173-332) My invention relates to electrical connecters for general use, including use in outlet boxes and as a plug. member for lamps and other devices and their source of electric current.

The invention has as its principal object a con necter that is simple, sturdy and inexpensive, that is neat and inconspicuous in appearance, that avoids the danger of electrical shocks, that minimize the risk o1' iraying or breaking `the electric wiring and that'has other important practical advantages.

'Ii'he inventionhconsists principally in an electrical connecter'l comprising box-like members, each having spaced terminals for receiving the ends oi the two wires of an electric cord and ,spaced conductor members having portions cooperating with said terminal members and having projecting portions adapted to iit into the spaces Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the two portions of the connecter member,

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan, with portions broken away, looking in the direction oi the arrows 3 2 in Fig. 2, showing the upper box portion of the connecter,-

Fig. 4 is a top plan looking in the direction of the arrows 4 4 of the lower box member, A

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view ofA the vtwo box members in spaced, superimposed relation, readyior assembly,

F18. 6 is a similar view of the assembled connecter,

Fig. 'l is a detail view of one of the terminal members, and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line l-8 of Fis. '1.

In Pig. 1 is illustrated an electric lamp L having secured in the base- I thereof the upper box portion 2of an electrical connecter member C embodying my invention, the lamp wiring cord I running from said box portion 2 through the lamp standard I to the light socket members I. The box I may be secured to the base by molding box portion l of the connecter is secured to the end of 'an electric extension cord i whose other end is connected with a suitable outlet l. This outlet may be a'connecter embodying the present invention, but is illustrated as being. a connecter ofthe kind shown in my co-pending patent appli- 5 cation.

The cooperating box members 2 and 8 are preferably made of a suitable plastic, as a resin, or l some other suitable composition and are provided with cover plates 9 secured thereto as by screws 10 il.

The upper box member 2 may be secured to a lamp or other electrical device and has terminal members Il mounted against the underside of its top I2, as by mean oi ears i3 embedded therein. l1li I'he box member 21s provided with `an opening ior the 'electric cord 2 or the two wires i4 thereof and each wire I1 has the end' thereof secured to one of said terminals il. I'he terminal construction illustrated includes abinding post Il 20' having an opening Il to receive the end of awire il and a screw i1 threaded into said binding post I5 for maintaining electrical contact with said wire. Each terminal member has an upstanding, slightly inclined contact tongue I8 that has 25 its tip portion i! reversely -bentl with respect to the body of the tongue.

VArranged in cooperative relation to'each of th terminal members ii is an electricalconductor member 2l secured to the top of the box, as by 3o ears 2| embeddedthe'rein and' having an upstanding contact tongue 22 that inclines toward the contact tongue Il of the adjacent terminal member Il and that has a reversely bent tip portion 2l. The cover plate 9 is provided with open- 35 ings 2l over the spaces between the contact tongues 22 and Il. Each conductor member also has an elongated contact arm 25 that projects through an opening 20 provided therefor in the cover plate I and that has a portion 21 r'ebent 4 and preferably extending back through sai opening 2i into the box member 2.

The lower box member i oi the connecter C, which is shown as having an opening for the end or the extension cord 1 has terminal mem- .45 bers 2l, similar to those ii of the upper box 2, mounted therein as by means of ears 29 embedded in the bottom o! the box and having upstanding contact tongues Ill with reversely bent tip portions Ii. The ends of the wires of the 50 kcord 1 are secured to said terminals.l Said lower box member likewise has a conductor member 32 in cooperative relation with each of said terminal members 2l, including contact tongues 33 with reversely bent tip portions 34 and upstandu members. f certain by reason of the resilient engagement from the device.

ing contact arms extending through openings 36 provided` in the cover plate and having their end portions 3l rebent and projectingback'intothe box. 'I'he cover plate also has openings 38 over the spaces between the contact tongues 3|I .there will not only be a firm and gapless electrical contact at all points, but the two box members will be securely held together.

Preferably, the lower box member 6 will have its edge portion 3S rabbeted and the lower marginal portion of the upper box member will be in the form of a rib 4U extending into said rabbetedv portion and making a neat joint between the two box members. All corners of the boxes may be rounded and one or both of thebox members may be provided with side depressions 4I to form a suitable grip for use when handling the box member.

The above described construction has numerous advantages. The projecting conductor members are ldead except when in contact with the spaced tongues, so that there is no danger of an electrical shock while assembling the two parts ofthe connecter. There is no strain on the Wiring and the separation of the box members is without riskof damaging the wiring or breaking the connection between the wiring and terminal The electrical contact is positive and between the conductor arms and the contact tongues. The construction adapts itself to connectionl at thebase of a lamp or other electrical device, thus avoiding the use of a cord dangling The changing of cords is facilitated and a cord of the length desired at any place may be used, instead of having excess cords with their attendant unsightliness and danger. Obviously, the construction admits of considerable modification in the sizes and proportions of parts and in the uses to which it is put, so that I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown.

posed faces and having openings for electric v wiring, terminal members in each box, the end of one wire being secured to each of saidv terminals, conductor members in each box for cooperation with said terminal members, said conductor members. having contact arms projecting through holes provided therefor in said cover plates, said contact arms being angularly rebent and having their ends reentrant into the box through said holes, said conductor members and said terminal members having upstanding tongues inclined towards each other but with reversely bent tips forming a flaring mouth, and the cover plates having openings over the several pairs of tongues, whereby an electrical circuit is established by placing the boxes with the contact arms of each box projecting into the spaces between the tongues of the other box.

2. An electrical connecter comprising opposed box members having cover plates for their opposed faces and having openings for electric wiring, terminal members in each box, the end of one wire being secured to each of said terminals, conductor members in each box for cooperation with said terminal members, said conductor members having contact arms of springy metal projecting through holes provided therefor inA said cover plates and having angularly rebent portions reentrant into said box through said holes, said conductor members and said terminal members having `upstanding tongues of springy metal and the cover plates having openings over the several pairs of tongues, whereby an electrical circuit` is established by placing the boxes with the contact arms of each box projecting into the spaces between the tongues of the other box.

3. An electrical connecter, double wires comprising opposed box members, terminal members in each box, the end of each wire being secured to one oi' said terminals, conductor members in each box, each conductor member cooperating with but spaced from one of said terminal members, said conductor members having projecting contact arms, said conductor members and said terminal members having upstanding tongues, whereby an electrical circuit is established by placing the boxes with the contact arms of each box projecting into the spaces between the tongues of the other box.

LEE HUNTER RILEY.

Patient No 2,086, 6141.

LEE HUNTERY RILEY.

`lnly l5, 195% It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page l, second column, line 6, after the syllable "cation" and before the period insert the comme and words No. 69,811 filed March 20, 1956; line l5, for "mean" read means; page 2, second column, line 14.0, claim 5, after "connecter" strike out the comma and insert instead the word "for"; and that the said Letters Patent .should be read with these corrections therein thatv the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

signed and sealed this 19th day of october, A. n. 1957.

(seal) lienry Van Arsdale Acting Commissioner of- Patents.

members. f certain by reason of the resilient engagement from the device.

ing contact arms extending through openings 36 provided` in the cover plate and having their end portions 3l rebent and projectingback'intothe box. 'I'he cover plate also has openings 38 over the spaces between the contact tongues 3|I .there will not only be a firm and gapless electrical contact at all points, but the two box members will be securely held together.

Preferably, the lower box member 6 will have its edge portion 3S rabbeted and the lower marginal portion of the upper box member will be in the form of a rib 4U extending into said rabbetedv portion and making a neat joint between the two box members. All corners of the boxes may be rounded and one or both of thebox members may be provided with side depressions 4I to form a suitable grip for use when handling the box member.

The above described construction has numerous advantages. The projecting conductor members are ldead except when in contact with the spaced tongues, so that there is no danger of an electrical shock while assembling the two parts ofthe connecter. There is no strain on the Wiring and the separation of the box members is without riskof damaging the wiring or breaking the connection between the wiring and terminal The electrical contact is positive and between the conductor arms and the contact tongues. The construction adapts itself to connectionl at thebase of a lamp or other electrical device, thus avoiding the use of a cord dangling The changing of cords is facilitated and a cord of the length desired at any place may be used, instead of having excess cords with their attendant unsightliness and danger. Obviously, the construction admits of considerable modification in the sizes and proportions of parts and in the uses to which it is put, so that I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown.

posed faces and having openings for electric v wiring, terminal members in each box, the end of one wire being secured to each of saidv terminals, conductor members in each box for cooperation with said terminal members, said conductor members. having contact arms projecting through holes provided therefor in said cover plates, said contact arms being angularly rebent and having their ends reentrant into the box through said holes, said conductor members and said terminal members having upstanding tongues inclined towards each other but with reversely bent tips forming a flaring mouth, and the cover plates having openings over the several pairs of tongues, whereby an electrical circuit is established by placing the boxes with the contact arms of each box projecting into the spaces between the tongues of the other box.

2. An electrical connecter comprising opposed box members having cover plates for their opposed faces and having openings for electric wiring, terminal members in each box, the end of one wire being secured to each of said terminals, conductor members in each box for cooperation with said terminal members, said conductor members having contact arms of springy metal projecting through holes provided therefor inA said cover plates and having angularly rebent portions reentrant into said box through said holes, said conductor members and said terminal members having `upstanding tongues of springy metal and the cover plates having openings over the several pairs of tongues, whereby an electrical circuit` is established by placing the boxes with the contact arms of each box projecting into the spaces between the tongues of the other box.

3. An electrical connecter, double wires comprising opposed box members, terminal members in each box, the end of each wire being secured to one oi' said terminals, conductor members in each box, each conductor member cooperating with but spaced from one of said terminal members, said conductor members having projecting contact arms, said conductor members and said terminal members having upstanding tongues, whereby an electrical circuit is established by placing the boxes with the contact arms of each box projecting into the spaces between the tongues of the other box.

LEE HUNTER RILEY.

Patient No 2,086, 6141.

LEE HUNTERY RILEY.

`lnly l5, 195% It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page l, second column, line 6, after the syllable "cation" and before the period insert the comme and words No. 69,811 filed March 20, 1956; line l5, for "mean" read means; page 2, second column, line 14.0, claim 5, after "connecter" strike out the comma and insert instead the word "for"; and that the said Letters Patent .should be read with these corrections therein thatv the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

signed and sealed this 19th day of october, A. n. 1957.

(seal) lienry Van Arsdale Acting Commissioner of- Patents. 

